Automobile bdtpsb



Dec. 11 1923.

G. A. LYQN AUTOMOBILE BUFFER Original Filed Feb. 11. 1921 Patented Dec. 11, 1.923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMOBILE BUFFER.

Application filed February 13., Serial No. 444,206.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALBERT LYoN, n citizen of the United States. anti resident; of Plllltldflll'lllltl, county of Philo- (lelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new tlIltl, useful Invention Relating" to Automobile Butters, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the acconipolrvine throwing-3., which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially to but 'Iers or bumpers "for automobiles or other vehicles, in which the buffer front. element. which may he formed of one or more p eces or strips of tempered steel or other suitable. material nrljustubly or permanently connertetl together. may he ntljustnhly clumped or connected to the composite or other aterhing element of the butter which may also he formed of one. or more strips or pieces of resilient steel. lVhere either one of these two cooperating elements is formed ot. several pieces of steel strip or other our t-erinl. it may be independently adjusted with respect to the other element of; the butter and clamped thereto in any desired atljust'ei'l position which is advantageous to secure the width adjustment of the attaching arms which may he clamped or conncct'et'l to the vehicle frame. or for adjusting the width or lateral extent oi the ends of the buffer front. It is in many cases (lesirnhle to have the inner att'nzhingelementot the hotter formed with integral or other loop porrions so that cinlnection nnl r be made :21 both the front and rear connector portions of the butter front. element where this is provided with loop-ed ends. Although it is not of course necessary in all uses. it is sometimes desirable to form the buffer iront. element with vertical extending or upwnriliy arched or bent contact portions; :inri where the butler front element is formed oi" several pieces or strips of resilient metal. they may of course be either adjustohly ehunpeil or connected together or permanently rigidly welded or otherwise connected as desired.

In the accompanying drawing-r showing in a somewhat rlingzrninnnitic we various illnstrat ire embodiments oil the invention.

Fig. l. a plan riew o1 :in illnstrntire buffer; :urrl

Fig. 2 is a corresponding front view.

Renewed September 5, 1922. Serial No. 586,353.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of another l1'll')0(ll ment; and

4 is :1 frontriew thereof.

Fig. 5 is n plan riew oi still another but for; and

Fig. (3 is a. corresponding front; View.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of still another illus trative embodiment; and.

Fig. 8 is a front View thereof These butler elements which are preferably though not necessarily made of tempereil steel strip which may be about two or three inches-wide and one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch thick more or less run comprise. a composite. or one piece but rer trout element :uljustnhly connected to 21 composite inner or attaching element. The butler 'i'ront element may he formed of :1 spring steel. stri') havingthe entl outer loops 10, 13 ctmneitetl by the front strip 9. which is preferably substantially straight through out a considerable part of its length. so us to form a front connector portion: while the entl loops nre formed with inturnetl e:-:- tensions or rear connector portions 11, l-t, which are preferably substantially parallel with said front connector portion. lhe inner or attaching element ot the butter may be formed of several pieces of spring steel strip, which may each comprise an attaching arm such as 1, to which may be con nested through a bent. portion the rear connector portion 2 adapted to cooperate with the connector portion 14 of the front element. An inner and loop B may he formed on this attaching strip :unl it may if (le- Si10(l. be continued inward nnrl forward to form a front connector portion 1-. preferably parallel to the rear connector portion 2 of the strip and adopted to cooperate with and be clumped or zonncclecl to the front connector portion of the butler front eh,- ment. B clamping or connecting" these two cooperating resilient strips at two such separated points as by the encircling clamp ing' iileviccs 17. 1. :1 very tlesirnble and strong connection is secured and a high degree of mutual. rcenforcing action is sevnrerl between these two looped euil Inc-mbcrs. The other attaching arm 5 may horn :in outwnrtlly extending; ortion 6 anti enil loop 7 srranoezil insirle the cu l loop ot the buffer front. member while the inwnr'l zinil forwzrrrl extens on of this attaching strip may constitute a front connector portion 8, adapted to be clamped as by the clamping device 18 to the connector portion of the buffer front element while the rear clamping device 20 connects these two strips at another aligned portion thereof. it desired also one or more additional front roenforcing strips such as 16 may he conne ted to the buffer iront connector portion as by passing through the front connecting or clamping dcvi cs 17, 18. With this arrangement which has a. neat and desirable appear once from the front as is seen in Fig. A, the, looped end attaching strips may be adjusted independently with respect to the hotter front element, so as to adjust the distance of the attaching arms apart or to adjust the distance apart, of the outer end loops as may be necessary or desired.

In Fig. 3 the bufi'er front element is COl'llposite and is made up of: several strips of resilient steel or other material, one of these front strips 3'? having the rear connector portion 36 and end loop 35 from which the strip may extend for 'ard and inward from the curve 29 to the point 30 On the other side of the buffer. If desired as shown in Fig. 4, this front portion 33 may be upwardly arched or bent to form an upwardly extending contact portion while if des'red, the corresponding front portion 34; of the other butler trout strip may extend either upward or downward to form a corresponding contact portion. The cooperating connect-or portions 30, 32 of these strips are however, preferably aligned so that they may he conveniently and effectively clamped or connected as by the clamping devices 17, 18, which may allow a considerahle relative adjustment between these parts if desired. The front strip 32, 33 may have the curved portion 31 and outer end loop 38 connected to the rear connection portion 39, which is proferahly parallel to the front connector portion of this strip. The attaching; strips or composite attaching element oi. this buil'er may comprise the attacliing arm 2i bent outward to form a connector portion 22 and inner end loop 2-3, it being also desirable to form a front connector portion 24 on this strip parallel to the connector portion 22-, and adapted to be clamped or connected to the front connector portions of the hotter front element. This may he eiiected by the front clipping or clamping device 17, while another clamping device 19 may encircle the cooperating rear connector portions of these strips adjacent the end 10. The other attaching strip may comprise the other attaching arm 25 and connected rear connector portion 26, with which may be connected the inner end loop 27 and front connector portion 28. he e two connector portions oi this strip are prcfc ably substantially parat lei and aligned with the cooperatingcon nector portions oi the front strip connected thereto as by the clamping devices 18, 20.

In the buffer shown in Figs. 5 and 0, the butter front element may be formed of two resilient steel strips, one of which may have the and loop 38 and inwardly extending rear connector portion 39 while this strip curves forvard in the arched portion 31. which may have one or more upwardly arched or heritcontact portions such as {l2 preferably adjacent the straight connector end 32 ot' the strip. The cooperating bufier front strip may have a corresponding connector end 30 and. adjacent nliwardly arched contact por tion 41, which may he intertwined as indicated with the other front strip, so as to bring the straight portions of these strips 80. 4-3, 44 and 32 substantially into line so that they can he connected in adjusted position hy the clamping devices 17, 18. This second buffer front strip has the end loop 35 and adjacent curved portion 39 the strip ending at the point adjacent. which a sub stantially straight rear connector portion 36 is prelorai'ily formed substantially parallel to the frontconnector portions oi? this strip. The composite inner attaching elements are preferably of similar construction in this -ase and independently adjustable with re spect to the composite front element, so that they can he clamped in any desired adjusted position by the clamping or connecting devices 17, 1S, 1.) and 20 of any sr'iitable or desired crmstrnction.

Figs. 7 and 8 show another desirable form of: hufler in which a single looped end butler i'rout strip or element may comprise the forwardly arched frontportion 55, which prci erahly has a substantially straight connector portion adjacent its central part. This strip may have the end loops 56 57 merging: into the inturncd connector portions 58. 59 which adjacent the ends 60 are preferably straight and substantially parallel to the front connector portion of this strip. The attaching strips forming the composite attaching element of this buffer may comprise the spring steel or other strip if), having the connector portion 416 and inner end loop 47 from which the strip curves inward and forward to the front connector portion -18. which may overlap adjacent its end 4-9, the corresponding tront connector portion of the other attach ing strip to which it may be connected adjacentthe end 54 as by the enclosing clamping device 61. clamping these two connector portions to the buffer front strip or element. The attaching strip 5-) may as indicated have the roar connector portion 51 and end loop 52 merging into its front connector portion 53, the two connector portions of each of these attaching strips being preferably parallcl so as to promote the assembling and clamping together of the parts of the but- .icr, which is very strong and resilient {or its weight and has the advantage that these independently adjustable attaching strips which may each be securely clamped at two widely separated points to the bulfer front element, so that a very rigid and secure con ncction is thus made possible.

This invention has been described. in con nection with, a number of embodiments forms, proportions, parts, arrangements, materials. methods of manufacture, connection and use, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patcut is set forth in the appended claims:

1. The resilient strip automobile bulfer comprising a one piece spring strip buffer front element having end loops and inturned rear connector portions substantially parallel with the relatively straight front connector portions of the strip, a front reenforcing strip extending across said front connector portion and two attaching strips formed with parallel front and rear connector portions to be adjustabl connected to the corresponding connector portions of the butler front, element and formed with end loops adapted to be arranged inside of and closer together than the end loops of said buffer front element.

The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising a one piece butler front element having end loops and inturncd, rear conuector portions substantially parallel with the front connector porti ns of the strip, and two attaching strips formed with parallel front and rear connector portions to he adjustahly connected to the corresponding connector portions of the hutl'er front cle ment and formed with end loops adapted to he arranged inside the end loops of said buffer front element.

The resilient strip automobile hulfer coinprisiinc a springstrip hufl'er front elcmerit. having end loops and inturned rear connector portions and substantially parallel relatively straight front connector portions, attaching strips formed with attaching arms and parallel front and rear connector portions to be independently adjust ahle with respect to the corresponding connector portions of the hulfer front element and formed with end loops adapted .to be arranged inside of the end loops of said butler fr'onl element and enclosing; clamping devices connecting each ()l Stllll attaching strip iosaid hull'er front eiemcnt at two laterally separated points.

i. The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising: a spring strip lnill'er front element having end loops and inturncd rear connector portions and front connector portions. attaching strips formed with attaching arms and front and rear connector portions to be independently adjustable with respect to the corresponding connector portions of the buffer front element and formed with end loops and clamping devices connecting each of said attaching strips to said buffer front element at two laterally separated points.

5. The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising a buffer front element having end loops and front and rear connector portions substantially parallel to each other, and two attaching strips formed with loops and with substantially parallel front and rear connector portions to be adjustably connected to the corresponding connector portions of the buffer front element.

6. The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising a butler front element having end loops and front and rear connector portions, two attaching strips formed with loops and with front and rear connector portions to be adjustably connected to the corresponding connector portions of the buffer front element and clamping devices substantially rigidly connecting the cooperatingconncctor portions.

7. The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising a one piece spring strip butler front element having end loops and inturned rear connector portions and. two attaching strips forned with front and rear connector portions to be adjustably connected at laterally separated points to the corresponding connector portions of the buffer front element and formed with end loops adapted to be independently adjusted inside the end loops of said buffer front element.

8. The automobile buffer comprising a buffer front element having end loops and adjacent rear connector portions and two attaching strips formed with front and rear connector portions to be--adjustahly connected at laterally separated points to the corresponding connector portions of the buffer front element and formed with end loops adapted to be independently adjusted with respect to the and loops of said buffer front element.

9. The resilient strip automobile buffer comprising a buffer front element having end loops and front and rear connector portions substantially parallel to each other, and two attaching strips formed with loops to be arranged inside of and closer together than said end loops and formed with substantially parallel front and rear connector portions to he adjustahly connected to the corresponding connectorportions of the huffcr front element.

it). The resilient strip automobile bufi'er comprising a butler front element having -end loops and front and rear connector portions, two attaching strips formed with loops to be arranged inside of and closer together than said end loops andjormed with front and rear connector portions to Ill he {liljllSl2ll)l Y connected to the corresponding ronuertor portions of the hotter front element an l Plumping derives Substantially rigiilly rounerting the cooperat ing connector portions.

11. The automobile butter comprising a plurality of spring stri a members and formed with end loops ataptetl to extend out into protective position adjacent; the automobile wheels, said members forming inner enrl loops closer together than and projeetin r outward to a less extent than the wheel proterting end loops and 1-0 front impart portion of said buffer comprising a plurality of vertically separated Contact strips adjacent the central part of said front portion.

l2 The automohile holler romprlsing a plurality of steel St rip IHQIYIlIQlS and formed with eial loops adapted to extend out into protertiw position ailjarent the automobile hm-ls. saiil members roinprising laterally ;Hl lllf-l':tlilo altarhing arms and tonnerlml inner vial loops projerl lug outward to a less mzlrut than the wheel prolerting 'Pnrl loops an-l the iron! portion of said liullvr mun prisillg a plurality of vertirally separ; lGLl rontart strips.

ill. The auloinohile hatter comprising a plurality of steel st rip members and formed with null lo ps adapted to extend out into protertive position tltljtittlll the automohile wheels. saiil member-gronlprising laterally ailjustahlr allarliing arias anti connected inner em] loops projertiug outward to a l as xtent than the wheel lll lttt'tlfl ll' vml loops illlll the front portion of said hull'er comprising a plurality of Separated rontart a l rips.

H. The auloiuohile hutl'er comprising a plurality of steel st rip members aml fornietl with Phil loops adapted to rxleml out into prolrt'liw position alljaronl; the automobile whet-ls. saitl uu-mlrvrs vonlpi'ising laterally ailjustalilr altarhing arms anil l lllll3l l'lll innor lllil loops proirrlin; outwarrl to a less exlrni than the wheel protovting eta} loopsi l 'l'lu' uulomoliilo liull'ra' roinprisiing a ploialitr of spring ln'll'll strip nirlnliem aral l'orniwl ill; !'L2ll\\':1ltll \'("ilillllltlfittllttt' iihg arms :nlaplml to in stu'ltli'll lo the ulti uur hilr anll l oluuul with integral and loops ailaptetl to extend out into protei-tirr postiiou asljavrnl th autouiohile heels sairt llll'nillllh' forming inner olul loops l'llllllot'ltll lo aul altar-hing arms aiul arranged ('lnsor together than anil projerliug: ulwarcl to a lossexit-n! than the whorl protrr ing oiul loop; and the from impact portion of mi l liull'rr upniprisingr a plurality of vounr lril \vrlivaLly separated ronlai-l strips forming: an opening lowing a verliral width greater than the whllli oi raiil strip members arljm rent the neutral purl oi Silili front portion.

to. The automobile holler fornu-rl ot' vertirally wirle spring steel strip and uomprisr lug; rearwarilly extending attaching arms ailapteil to he Ftwili'ttl to the automoliile llllll integrally ((HHNiltd outer and loops, and inner nu-lnhers ronnerleil to sairl attaching tllllls aml romprising inner einl loops extending out wartl within said enter end loops and having outer portions r-onsirlerahly out oi rontart with said outer eml loops. the front impart portions of saicl halter roniprisin a plurality of eonnertrrl front strips integral with tho enrl loops and having oppositely lient vertirall;- separated Central eontarl portions forming an opening at least as \lll) as the wiihh of the strip adjacent the neutral part of the hotter front. 5

17. The automobile built-r formed of vertir-ally with: steel strip amt romprising rearwarrlly extending atlarh unis aslaptrti to he Stt'liltil to the autoin v an l integrally (l)l'llh,!l((l outer and l op at inner nit-niliers ronm-rtrll to Hllltl atta liiug arms and roinprisiug inner vial loopa s iltllllfl' autwaril within saiil outer eml loop-g the front, impart portions oi said luili rr roniprising a plurality of ltlillltt'lill front, strips integral with throml loops tliltl having oppositely lient i'rrtirally separalol rent rai roniart portiona forming a ronsialt-rahlr rrrtiral open lug :Hljzlt'lili thr- {jlflllltll part of the hotter front.

W. "lhr automobile hotter romprising a plurality of r nnrrtml slrr-i Fill}! nit-inborn and formed with rearward attarhing arms a laptril to lie serum-(l to the autmnohil and lormml with outer and loops illlilplflil to exteml out into pl'otm-tive position ailiaeent. the automobile wheels. will iormhers forming: inner rm] l ops ariuizigrml rloser l'otrether than alal Plfljit'llli out want to a less extent than saulontvr tllil loorr .iiul l a front impart portion of 'IE lozi i i forming a ui l mrll tlio root 'al part a 5' saw The :inli'uuoliilr 5;; rearwaril altavhing irina laplrrt to Stt'lilta'l to the autoinolole uzul inl arel outer enrl loops. and romprising inner resilient loops wiihin saiil miltl' rial loop; the front impart portions of saiil luili'vr romprising a pluralilv ol' irriirallv la'nt, \rrlirallv sepa- E- gpd m [mam-i lull'lli lll, 'lorniing an opening ailiavrnl the ventral part of the liull'i-r front.

lll'illll ill Alililill'l LYON. 

